President William R. Brody,
who is stepping down Dec. 31 after 12 years as Johns
Hopkins
president, will become president of the Salk Institute in
California, the institute will announce today.

Brody will oversee Salk's 870 scientific staff and
establish research objectives for the
institute. He also will seek to enhance the institute's
base of financial support. He will start in the new
position March 1.

"I hope to help the Salk faculty chart a course for
the future, incorporating many of the
exciting new disciplines and technologies that contribute
to advances in medical science," Brody said.

The move to La Jolla, Calif., outside San Diego, will
return Brody to the state where he was born
and raised, where he earned his medical and doctoral
degrees and where he maintains a home and many
personal ties.

The chair of Salk's board of trustees called Brody "a
proven leader with broad accomplishments
in medical science and academia."

"We have all been struck by Bill's intellect, energy
and enthusiasm and look forward to working
closely with him as he leads the institute to new levels of
excellence," said the chair, Irwin M. Jacobs.

The Salk Institute is an independent organization
dedicated to life sciences research, the
improvement of human health and training future
researchers. Jonas Salk, whose vaccine all but
eradicated polio, founded the institute in 1960 with a gift
of land from San Diego and the financial
support of the March of Dimes. For more information, see www.salk.edu.